It sounded so brilliant, but so crazy, that when it was announced April 1 it seemed like an April Fool’s joke. Dark Horse Comics will release a limited run comic adaptation of George Lucas’ initial rough draft for Star Wars written in May 1974—three years before Star Wars’ eventual release. Three years in which Lucas could change his mind and tweak his vision, and did. A lot. Reading over the summary of the Star Wars Rough Draft, it seems like an entirely different film. It’s even that much more obviously inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s great 1958 samurai actioner, The Hidden Fortress, about an aging general helping to escort a young princess through hostile terrain. In his original vision for Star Wars, Lucas called his guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy “Jedi Bendu” rather than simply Jedi. And lightsabers were still called “lazer swords.”
LucasBooks executive editor J.W. Rinzler is writing the Dark Horse adaptation of the rough draft, called The Star Wars, after Lucas’ first title. (No, it’s not because of some Frank Miller-style affectation a la “The Batman.”) “I’m having a blast adapting George Lucas’ prototypical ideas into sequential storytelling,” Rinzler tells Hollywood.com exclusively. “It’s a dream task to help bring to life Annikin Starkiller, General Luke Skywalker, the first Sith Knights, a Space Fortress (that’s attacked twice), Imperial troopers on dune birds, the very first Princess Leia (from the planet Aquilae)… And there’s so much more in The Star Wars.”
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Just from that description alone, you can probably tell this is unlike any Star Wars you’ve ever seen before. Both Luke and Annikin (canonical spelling “Anakin” was years off) exist in the same story, and they’re not father and son? Princess Leia is from Aquilae, not Alderaan? There’s a Space Fortress instead of a Death Star? To help bring Lucas’ earliest vision of that Galaxy Far Far Away to ink-and-paint life, Dark Horse has commissioned artist Mike Mayhew (The Avengers). “Nearly every day I get to see Mike Mayhew’s energetic panels arrive in my in-box,” Rinzler says. “He’s simply doing an amazing job, building on the earliest designs of Ralph McQuarrie, Joe Johnston, and even Colin Cantwell, while adding his own glorious touches. Each moment flows into the next. I feel like a kid again.”
So let’s take you back to a time when Jedi Bendu wore samurai-style topknots, Darth Vader was practically a bit player, and Han Solo was a green lizard. This is the story Lucas originally had in mind when he pitched Hollywood his idea for a space opera almost 40 years ago and 20th Century Fox took the bait. It’s been summarized all over every Star Wars fansite, but if you don’t want it spoiled, turn away now. We’ll walk you through The Star Wars by telling you how it’s the same and how it’s different from the Star Wars you know and love. What’s particularly striking is how it sets up elements in A New Hope and The Phantom Menace in almost equal measure. Everything you love about Star Wars is here. But also there are story points from the get-go that some more cranky fans would pick apart in The Phantom Menace many years later.
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A Long Time Ago…: Lucas did indeed write an opening crawl into his earliest draft. The Jedi Bendu were guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy for 100,000 years in The Star Wars, as opposed to the canonical 36,000 we’ve come to know. And they didn’t serve the Galactic Republic. No, they actually were the personal bodygards of a benevolent Emperor. They led his space forces across the galaxy to bring order from chaos, much the way the Jedi lead the Republic’s military during the Clone Wars. The Jedi and their Emperor were defeated by the “Knights of Sith.” The Sith replaced their rule with a New Empire.
It’s Still a Father-Son Story: Like Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope, The Star Wars is about the coming of age of a young man. But that young man isn’t Luke Skywalker. It’s Annikin Starkiller (the name was an homage to Swiss Family Robinson director Ken Annakin), who, with his father Kane Starkiller, a former Jedi Bendu, must leave their home planet of Utapau in the Kissel system for Aquilae, a planet still independent from the rule of the Empire.
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It’s incredible to think that the word "Utapau" would make it into Lucas’ draft in 1974, but not actually appear onscreen until Revenge of the Sith 31 years later. (For those of you with short memories, Utapau is the sinkhole planet where Obi-Wan duels General Grievous.) And "Kissell" seems to be an early version of Kessell, home of the galaxy’s most notorious spice mines.
Luke Skywalker Isn’t Who You Think He Is: In this version Luke fulfills the Obi-Wan role. He’s an aging sage, but still a cunning warrior, who must guide Annikin Starkiller to maturity. Kane cannot train Annikin himself because he’s lost most of his body in battles with the Sith. Only his head and an arm aren’t cybernetic, and he runs off an external power source, like the robot he basically is. So the idea of the young hero’s father being a cyborg, like Darth Vader to Luke, was already in place from the earliest version of the story.
Princess Leia Is Still Pretty Much The Same: Though you could see her as a hybrid of Carrie Fisher’s Leia and Natalie Portman’s Queen Amidala. Like Amidala, she’s part of the benevolent royalty of a backwater world—Aquilae—that’s remained free of policing from the galaxy’s central government. Aquilae would eventually become Naboo in The Phantom Menace, and that planet is a part of the Republic, but like Naboo, Aquilae faces an invasion force. Not from the Trade Federation, but from the Empire itself.
Fear Will Keep the Systems in Line. Fear of this Space Fortress: The Empire wants to invade Aquilae because its scientists are among the most skilled in the galaxy at cloning. (That idea would be transferred to Kamino for Attack of the Clones.) An Aquilaerian spy on the Imperial capital, Alderaan—Coruscant wouldn’t be invented by Timothy Zahn until some 17 years later—informs Aquilae’s king of the Empire’s hostile intent. That spy’s name is Clieg Whitsun. Clieg would become Cliegg, the name of Owen Lars’ father in Attack of the Clones. And Whitsun would be come Whitesun, as in Beru Whitesun, Owen’s wife, Luke’s aunt. Alderaan would be far from the Empire’s capital in A New Hope but rather a hotbed of rebellion against its rule and the target of the Death Star’s superlaser.
Rather than a Death Star in The Star Wars, there was a Space Fortress, a massive mobile battle station. Shortly after it entered the Aquilae system, the King fired on it, causing the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO, who had been stationed on the Space Fortress to enter escape pods and land in the Jundland Wastes, a forbidding part of Aquilae. The Jundland Wastes would later be transplanted to Tatooine, where the droids did also make a crashlanding at the beginning of A New Hope.
NEXT: More About that lizardman Han Solo. And just where is Darth Vader in all this?
“My Name Is Annikin Starkiller, and I’m Here to Rescue You!”: Aquilae’s king quickly dies, meaning that the Empire wants to target his next of kin, Princess Leia. Not to kill her, but to capture her and use her as a puppet to legitimize their rule, much like the Trade Federation hopes to do with Queen Amidala in The Phantom Menace. Annikin, now the padawaan apprentice of Luke Skywalker, accompanies his master to protect Leia from the Imperial forces. They hope to hide from their enemy with Leia in the Jundland Wastes, and that’s when they first meet up with R2-D2 and C-3PO, who join their party. What’s weird about this particular set-up is that Leia actually has a couple younger brothers with her in tow, one of whom is named Biggs, which will later be the name of Luke’s old friend back on Tatooine in A New Hope.
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Han Solo, Lizardman: Annikin and Luke lead Leia and her brothers through the Jundland Wastes so that they can reach the spaceport of Gordon, a vile place of scum and villainy, where they can charter a ship and get offworld. It’s there they meet Han Solo, a Urellian, a six-foot tall bipedal reptilian known to hunt down and enslave Wookiees on their home planet of Yavin. That means the Urellians are kind of like the early version of the Trandoshans, reptilians native to the same star system as Kashyyyk in canonical Star Wars, who fight and enslave the Wookiees. Han is a friend of Kane Starkiller, who already met up with him to prepare for passage for Annikin, Luke, Leia, and the boys offworld.
With Solo’s help, they charter a freighter offworld captained by a man named Valorum (a name that would surface again with Terence Stamp’s Supreme Chancellor Valorum in The Phantom Menace). In order to avoid the Imperial patrols, however, the boys will need to be put in microcases, kind of like a combination of the Millennium Falcon’s secret compartments and carbon freezing, that will mask their life signs. They don’t have enough power to fuel these microcases, however, so Kane takes off his power pack, offers it to his son and his friends, and sacrifices his life. Kind of like what happens when Tony Stark lets go of that blue shiny orb in his chest.
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Even in 1974, It’s a Trap!: So Valorum, the captain of that freighter they chartered, is actually a Sith Knight. And he planned to capture them and turn them over to his higher-ups, who’d surely force Princess Leia to sign a treaty legitimizing the Empire’s occupation of the planet. Instead, our heroes steal an Imperial starship and get offworld, but have a harrowing chase through an asteroid field (hello, The Empire Strikes Back!), which damages their ship and forces them to land on the Wookiee homeworld of Yavin. There they find the Urellians fighting the Wookiees, but they all align with the Wookiees, even Urellian Han Solo. They also meet up with a very special walking carpet named Chewbacca, who saves Annikin’s life in the midst of a battle. They all gather at the home of anthropologists Owen and Beru Lars (yep, they’re not moisture farmers in this version, nor are they related to any of our main characters), while Leia is captured by the Imperials and sent back to Aquilae to sign the treaty. Actually, she’s imprisoned on the Space Fortress.
Vader, Where Are You?: Everyone rushes back to Aquilae to save the princess. She’s being held captive aboard the Space Fortress, so Annikin goes undercover in stormtrooper armor to get to her cell. But he’s caught before he can make the rescue, and Darth Vader, here just a menacing, barely-glimpsed enforcer, orders Valorum to kill him. Despite being a Sith, Valorum has a change of heart, and lets Annikin go free. Now he can rescue the princess. And not a moment too soon. Aged warrior Luke Skywalker leads a squadron of starfighters (all piloted by Wookiees!) to destroy the fortress. They escape just as the space fortress is about to blow up, already a classic Star Wars close-call.
The Empire is beaten back from Aquilae, the princess is safe, and Annikin has undergone his first great trial as a Jedi Bendu under Skywalker’s tutelage. Princess Leia is crowned Queen, and she gives rewards our heroes in honor of their valor. In fact, she even appoints Annikin “Lord Protector of Aquilae.” The end.
So, yeah. This is that moment we close our slackjaws and say, preferably in the voice of Troy McClure, “Haha! It didn’t change a bit, did it?”
It’s obviously very different from the movie we ultimately got, a hell of a lot more complicated, and probably less resonant. But like its big screen spawn, The Star Wars does have some incredible imagery woven into the DNA of its narrative from the start. No wonder Rinzler called it “hallucinatory” in Dark Horse’s first press release about the comic adaptation. But there are more than a few elements present in this prototype of the story that we actually do see pop up in the finished version—in fact, across multiple films. It’s like a bizarro world in which we recognize some of what we see, but what’s familiar really only serves to highlight just how different everything is.
Mike Mayhew’s images in the few panels that have already been released have glimmers of familiarity to them. You see a young boy, possibly Biggs, dressed much like Anakin in sandy-colored robes in Phantom Menace, while Luke adopts a very traditional, cross-legged samurai pose. And the circular cockpit on that freighter looks very much like the iconic Corellian style of the Millennium Falcon’s. The Star Wars should prove to be a worthy companion piece to the Visionaries line of Dark Horse Star Wars comics, which reimagined plot points from the original trilogy to make you rethink everything you thought you knew about that Galaxy Far Far Away. Only this shows what that galaxy’s maker originally had in mind when brainstorming this material. Just writing that story summary filled me with a sense of exoticism and surprise. To reimagine A New Hope is to reimagine everything you thought you knew about Star Wars. Suddenly it’s as alien as it was the first time the world saw it in 1977. But that’s been the unique genius of Star Wars—to present the new, the unexpected, the alien, and all the feelings of discovery that accompany them, and also bottle timeless universe truths about fellowship and honor that transcend mere “plot points.” Rinzler and Mayhew’s project could be an alternate universe Star Wars project that reminds us all over again why we fell in love with George Lucas’ saga in the first place.
Follow Christian Blauvelt on Twitter @Ctblauvelt
[Photo Credit: Dark Horse]
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This week’s of Once Upon a Time was definitely a giant adventure. From beanstalks to pirate ships, from airports to hospitals, our favorite fairy tale characters were all over the place. Catch up on all the mesmerizing details from “Tiny” in one enchanting recap!
Fairytale Land Flashbacks: At the tippy-top of a beanstalk, we met a band of brothers who also just happened to be giants. Lost’s Jorge Garcia was back, reprising his role as Anton, or “Tiny,” as his brothers liked to call him when teasing. Anton was the smallest giant of the bunch and his fascination with the human world and all of their treasures was greatly shunned by all of his brothers.
One brother asked Tiny, “Have you forgotten what the humans did? Why we no longer trade beans with them? They weren’t content merely traveling between the realms. They had to conquer and pillage.” But Anton firmly believed that just because a few humans were bad didn’t mean the entire race was evil. To prove his brothers wrong, Tiny traveled down the beanstalk and ended up in the Enchanted Forest B.C.S. (Before Charming and Snow).
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Over in a royal bedroom, we saw Charming making out with a random brunette who was definitely not Snow White. It only took 2.5 seconds to realize that this look-a-like was James, Charming’s twin brother who was raised to be ruthless and deceitful instead of compassionate and kind. The King interrupted his son's bedroom sesh (awk) with news that a giant was in town and told him that they must find him.
James and his lady found Anton wistfully looking into the window of a pub, but obviously his size prohibited him from being able to enter. James approached Anton with a deceitfully sweet smile and offers him to show him around the kingdom. The girl offered him a bit of a magical mushroom that would temporarily shrink his size. (It was a very Alice in Wonderland moment.) Tiny was extremely grateful to his new friends, and he asked the maiden for her name. She replied with a sly smile, “Jacquelyn, but everyone calls me Jack.” In the pub Jack explained that their kingdom was in great danger and they owed a lot of money to a nearby village. If they did’t pay, their land would be pillaged and burned to the ground. Eager to help out his new friends, Anton traveled back up the beanstalk to gather up treasure and donate it to the kingdom.
However, James and Jack followed Anton up the beanstalk, accompanied by a large army with poisoned swords to attack the giants and steal all of their magic beans. Anton destroyed the crops, but when he returned from his task he saw that all of his brothers were now dead. Just before the last surviving brother took his final breath, he handed Anton a magic bean steam and said that when he finds new land, he should grow more. James abandoned a fatally wounded Jack, and escaped from the beanstalk with a large bag of treasure on his back and a smile on his face.
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First Time Flyer: Rumple returned to collect Emma for their trip and was surprised to see that Henry had packed a suitcase too. Emma explained that with Cora running around, she was not going to leave her son in Storybrooke. If she went, he went. Tension hovered in the air as the three approached the town line on their way to the airport. Rumple's magic shawl was wrapped tightly around his neck as car passed over the line. He did indeed still have his memory, saying, “My name is Rumplestilskin and we’re going to find my son.”
Over in the airport, Henry was bouncing off the walls, asking a million questions, and was excited to get a Cinnabon from the food court. (Note to Emma: Do not give that kid any more sugar. Sheesh!) As the gang prepared to go through airport security, the guard told Rumple to place his cane and shawl in the bin and step forward. Rumple looked truly terrified, exclaiming, “If I let this go, I could forget who I am.” But Emma promised she would’t let that happen.
Rumples took off his scarf and was immediately in a daze, stumbling through the metal detector with shallow breath and unfocused eyes. Emma quickly placed the shawl back on his shoulders, and a shaken but memory-intact Rumple followed her to the gate. He nervously paced back and forth before excusing himself to go to the bathroom. Once locked in the stall, Rumple began punching the sanitary seat dispenser as hard and as fast as he could.
His knuckles were bloody and bruised, but when Rumple tried to use magic to heal them, he found that it wouldn't work. Rumple ended up on the plane with a bandaged hand looking terrified as the flight attendant announced that they would be landing in New York City in less than an hour.
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A Stranger in Storybooke: Snow and Charming began their quest to find Cora, and the first person they looked to question was, of course, Hook. Reluctantly the pirate led them aboard his ship and even though Cora was not there, they did find something very important that she brought on her trip: a pint-sized giant. Cora used her magic to shrink Anton, locked him away in a cage, and brought him on their journey to Storybrooke.
Snow freed Anton and said that they were not here to harm him, but the very second the not-so-giant giant saw Charming, he instantly attacked him, mistaking him for his brother. When he realized that he was outnumbered, Anton fleed the boat and wandered off into the forest. Regina learned of Anton’s disdain for the prince and took his opportunity to present Anton with yet another mushroom, but this one would temporarily makes him huge.
As Anton ravaged through town, Charming and Snow attempted to reason with the giant, explaining that it was actually James who betrayed him. But Anton did not care, claiming that all humans were evil and jumped through the air in hopes of crushing our beloved prince. However, all Anton crushed was a huge hole in the ground before the mushroom wore off.
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Charming and the rest of the town worked to save Anton from the hole and proved that the people of Storybrooke were kind and trustworthy. Anton rewarded them by saying that he would plant his beans in this new land so that they may have the option to travel back home.
Meanwhile, Belle was in the mental hospital — in a yellow gown of course — and it was clear she still had no idea who she was. Ruby sat down beside her friend to bring her “some comforts from home,” which was basically a basket filled with books. Belle demanded that her friend tell her the truth and asked Ruby why there was a man with a ball of fire in his hands on the night of her accident.
Belle got hysterical, claiming she knew what she saw, and the nurse came over to give her a shot of sedatives and take her to her room. Later that night, Craig — the man who drove through town and caused the accident — entered her room. He said he overheard her talking and he also saw a man wielding a ball of fire that night.
What did you think of the adventures in tonight’s Once Upon a Time? Cast your spell in the comments below!
Follow Leanne on Twitter @LeanneAguilera
[Photo Credit: Jack Rowand/ABC]
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With the official announcement of Sunday's activities, San Diego Comic-Con finally has its full line-up. And boy oh boy is it ever chock-a-block with things to do. For those not easily overwhelmed, we've broken down the highlights that will no doubt bring in tons of spoilers, revelations, exclusives, and news about our favorite television shows and movies. The comic convention has quickly turned into THE place to reveal information to a highly-rapturous nerd-and-geek-a-palooza in addition to the discussion of the comic book and fandom worlds.
So take a look at the highlights below and get your schedules ready--it's definitely going to be tight to manage seeing everything worth attending. Does anyone have an extra time-turner handy?
Wednesday
For those lucky enough to get into the preview night, there is a nearly 4 hour block of pilot screenings that include ABC's 666 Park Avenue, CW's Arrow, FOX's The Following, NBC's Revolution, and CW's Cult.
Thursday
Thursday morning starts off with several panels, including an hour of movie trailer screenings. The cast and crew from The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 will be on-hand to present a sneak peek at the film followed by a Q&amp;A. Disney hosts a panel featuring Tim Burton and his Frankenweenie, Sam Raimi and Oz The Great and Powerful, and Wreck-it Ralph. John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman will also be there. To round out the afternoon, Teen Wolf of the MTV variety and USA's Psych will also have panels going. The CW's Beauty and the Beast has a panel during the evening, and the zombies will be out for The Walking Dead's early evening discussion. Wilfred's team will have an hour to chat about the FX-by-way-of-Australian television show, and CBS' Elementary will serve you some behind-the-scenes clues into the show for Sherlock and Watsons everywhere. On the movie front, The Expendables 2 will talk about the action and and explosions experienced by on-hand stars Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and more. Jon Benjamin has his first panel of the weekend to discuss Archer before the folks from Dexter chat about the world's most lovable serial killer, in what promises to be filled with tons of details about the upcoming season. Comedy Central gets in on the fun with a discussion with the boys from Workaholics before everything ends with a lively sing-along featuring Neil Patrick Harris' internet sensation, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.
Friday
Community brings the cult-favorite's cast to San Diego for what will be an undoubtedly kooky and obscure pop culture reference-laden event, while the bronies will be found at a My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (I know!) panel. Nickelodeon's buzzified new show Legend of Korra takes a stab at the comic-con circuit, as well as CW's midseasoner Cult. Fans of Adult Swin have several panels running on Friday, and Big Bang Theory gets an upgrade to the prestigious Hall H for its cast chat. Things are a little bit creepy in honor of the superstitious Friday the 13th, with a panel for ABC's 666 Park Avenue, as well as several other horrific sessions. In curious music-related news, Chris Martin and the Coldplay crew will be on hand to chat about the alleged secret narrative behind their album Mylo Xyloto that has turned into a comic miniseries. Interesting! At lunchtime, The Walking Dead will raise you from the undead before David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel talk the Bones season seven shocker. Elijah Wood will be there to discuss his voice work on Disney's Tron: Legacy series before afternoon highlight and sure-to-be-packed-to-the-gills Game of Thrones panel moderated by series-and-novel creator George R.R. Martin. A portion of the cast: including Jon Snow, Theon Greyjoy, Cersei Lannister, Robb and Catelyn Stark, and Daenerys Targaryen will be on hand to dish on winter's impending arrival. White walkers!
Think you're done yet? Oh no, my friends, there's much more--including Bob's Burgers, a preview of Resident Evil: Retribution, and a panel discussing kick-ass ladies featuring Kristin Bauer van Straten, Sarah Wayne Callies, Kristin Kreuk, Nikki Reed and Anna Torv. Wil Wheaton will serve up a Q&amp;A for Falling Skies.
Sony heads up a huge two-hour panel featuring their upcoming films, including the reboot of Total Recall with Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel and Bryan Cranston on stage, as well as Joseph Gordon-Levitt's futuristic Looper, and Neill Blonkamp's Elysium featuring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster.
Phew! But we're not done yet, America. Oh no. Joss Whedon and Anthony Bourdain both have panels during the evening portion, before Bryan Cranston has another panel with his hit show Breaking Bad. Cult-favorites that ended-too-soon for some fans (Dollhouse, FlashForward, Firefly, and The Middleman) have their own panel — with Firefly's hosted by the Science Channel — about what the writers wish they could've shown before Resident Evil: Damnation has a 7-minute sneak preview event with a subsequent Q&amp;A.
Saturday
Saturday starts out strong with a panel for next year's Will and Jaden Smith film/comic book, After Earth. G4's Attack of the Show comes up next with a behind-the-scenes look at the nerd-favorite. Then it's a trip to Storybrooke, where the cast of Once Upon A Time will chat about the magical show. Keep an eye out, as Ginnifer Goodwin, Lana Parrilla, and Emilie de Ravin will all be on hand. Felicia Day and Wil Wheaton are hosting a Geek &amp; Sundry panel that promises big-time announcements that Wheaton fans will sure to delight over for days after. Lizzy Caplan, Alison Brie, Martin Starr, and Geoffrey Arend will all be on-hand to discuss their new film Save the Date, which tells a contemporary story of modern love using the style and tropes of comic book storytelling to make the movie. A highlight of Saturday morning is definitely the sneak-peek of Django Unchained, featuring a Q&amp;A with Quentin Tarantino and the cast. Futurama also has a panel on the day, as well as Chris Hardwick's ever-popular Nerdist empire. But Saturday's shenanigans don't stop here--we're barely even through lunchtime, you guys--other panel highlights include The Simpsons, Jake Gyllenhaal will discuss his new film End of Watch, and the crew from Family Guy will also chat up the convention. There's a panel each for the folks from Grimm, Being Human, and Vampire Diaries, to discuss the supernatural dramas second, third, and fourth respective seasons. The Shameless cast talks drunken shenanigans and family calamities before the evening takes off with the big guns. On the TV front, True Blood, Glee, MythBusters, and Cinemax's Femme Fatales all get their own Q&amp;A time. Movie highlights in the evening include Iron Man 3 and Person of Interest. Nerd hero Kevin Smith also has his own panel.
Sunday
The day starts off strong with a Fringe panel featuring stars Anna Torv, Josh Jackson, Lance Reddick, Blair Brown, Jasika Nicole, and John Noble. After that, things get Supernatural with Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, but continue with an alleged "earth-shattering announcements that will change the life of Peter Parker [aka Spiderman] for another 50 years" in a panel featuring the Marvel crew. Intrigue! By then it's lunchtime and the cult-favorite Doctor Who will premiere some exclusive content in preparation for the upcoming season of the BBC hit. Seth MacFarlane will be on hand to premiere the first episode from season four of The Cleveland Show. In an attempt to make us all feel 100 years old, there will be a 20th anniversary celebration/panel for Buffy the Vampire Slayer which will feature surprise guests and the original movie Buffy, Kristy Swanson, as well as stars Nicholas Brendon and Clare Kramer. There will also be a separate screening of the musical episode later on in the afternoon. FX favorite Sons of Anarchy will also take an hour on the stage, as well as a panel on the Harry Potter fandom.
Phew! Information overload much? For those of you that are going, which of these panels are you most excited about? For those not attending but keeping score, which panels do you think will be the true highlights? Let us know in the comments!
Follow Alicia on Twitter @alicialutes
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S06E07 This was a fantastic episode. A+. 10/10. Everything Moffat teased and I hoped for, happened. It was glorious. It simultaneously began in the middle of action, answered major questions, gave us more questions, and then set up the series for YEARS to come. How could I give it anything less than my best?
We'll go through the highlights of the episode, first before delving into its implications. Perhaps my favorite thing about the opening is that it begins completely in media res. We’ve seen the Doctor rally up an army (the end of season 4 comes to mind) and the first half of this episode feels like the second half of a really good “The Doctor takes on a giant army” episode. Even the triumphant music feels like it should be at the end of an episode, not halfway through it! And perhaps that’s why it's such a good episode - we expect it to be over, but then it keeps going and it gets better! From a narrative standpoint it was amazing - we’ve grown used to the Doctor, we expect him to come out on top, so let’s see him how we expect to see him and keep going with more twists. Excellent, excellent, excellent.
Demons run, when a good man goes to war.
Night will fall and drown the sun, when a good man goes to war.
Friendship dies and true love lies.
Night will fall and the dark will rise, when a good man goes to war.
Demons run but count the cost. The battle's won but the child is lost.
Right at the beginning we get two great scenes cutting back and forth. Amy starts talking to her (absolutely adorable, SO CUTE) baby, the lovely Melody Pond. She tells her that even though she’s being taken away she is always loved and someone is coming after her - her father. Cut to Rory back in Roman garb. He has a question (WHERE IS MY WIFE???) and a message from the Doctor (BOOM!). Amy warns them to be braver because you do not come between a companion’s daughter with the Doctor on her side. Then back to Rory being all suave and badass and shit. Now, are we still confused about who the father of this baby is? They played it up here and they made it seem questionable later on, but I thought this was settled? Oh well, I guess a little tension here and there always helps.
Then boom - we’re off to the episodes single serving characters who conveniently explain the plot. Now the really interesting thing about this was just how on the nose Moffat made it about how dispensable these characters are. True, why bother naming them when he’s the fat gay anglo preacher marine? And he’s the skinny one. It was a nice unexpected comment on the series. But anyway, the girl is a little disobedient by sewing in her free time but the guards don’t care. They’re more interested in the headless monks. The fat one gets taken as a sacrifice and he eventually has to do something with an empty box and a head but then it cuts away before we find out what happens.
So what’s the Doctor been up to this whole time? As the fat blue man points out - the eye patch lady took someone he cares about very deeply (at a very important time in her life) and that means only one thing. He’s raising an army. Turns out, that’s exactly what he’s doing. He’s calling in a bunch of old favors and debts so we get a semi-montage of all the people he’s gathering up. Now, I have no idea (or desire to do the necessary research) if these people he’s gathering up have been people we’ve seen before but does it matter to the story? Not really (actually the fat blue guy is from the New Earth episode back in season 2). The Doctor rescues people. He has a bunch of people in his debt. It just makes sense. So he gathers a (lesbian, katana wielding) Silurian, a Sontarian, a Rhino Fro-Yo-No-Go guy and probably more people that we didn’t see.
And who are we fighting? Apparently the religious military that has started who has partnered with the headless monks seen earlier. They do everything they can to dispel the mythology of the Doctor that had grown over the centuries through the universe. He’s not a ghost, he’s not a demon, he’s a man. And he can die. Well, except he’s not a man. But that’s a small point (kinda). What does matter are those headless monks ARE ACTUALLY HEADLESS. AND THEIR NECKS HAVE A TWIST TIE LIKE A GARBAGE BAG! PUNK ROCK! That was kinda creepy but you know what took it to the next level? The Doctor’s entrance!
‘Surprised?’ - The Doctor
Hell yeah.
The Doctor goes off and does his thing. He disappears into the dark and makes the monks turn against the army. We almost think the army outsmarts the Doctor when they lay down their arms to regain the trust of the monks but of course the Doctor thought of that. As soon as their unarmed BOOM - the Doctor’s army appears. Ahaha, the Doctor disarms them and captures them without firing a shot. Lizard lady was right - the Doctor has never risen higher.
But how could he possibly fall farther than ever? Has to do with Amy, of course. Rory makes the appropriate entrance and the new parents have their teary reunion. Sweet as it should be. However, did anyone else think Rory looked, I’m not even sure, angry when he turned around to the Doctor? Like, he should have been smiling or something when he told him to get down there. Small complaint, I know. Anyway, turns out the Doctor can speak baby and little Melody Pond (the superhero!) even thinks bow ties looks stupid. But no they don’t - they’re cool.
Never mind that, no matter how cute it is - why did this army want Amy and her baby? That’s the question. Doctor goes off to find fat blue dude and Lizard Lady analyzing what the army had been up to with the baby but not before delivering another badass monologue. It’s often said that the Doctor is never more terrifying when he’s talking quietly and this was a text book example of it when he deemed the general General Runaway. But that was that. Turns out - there is a little bit of Time Lord DNA mixed in with some human DNA. Was that another red herring that the Doctor might be the father? Seriously, another? Eh, whatever. It led to some fantastic awkward dancing dialogue as the Lizard Lady asked the important question of, you know, when that baby, umm, began. The Doctor thinks back and it turns out that the first time Amy and Rory spent on the TARDIS in this time line was, oh god, on their wedding night. BOW CHIKA WOW WOW.
As they say in Jurassic Park - life (in this case: Time Lord) finds a way.
Eye Patch Lady pops up right then (timely!) and the Doctor confronts her. What does she want with the child? Well, to fight in the war. War against who? The Doctor, of course. Aha. Then she starts rubbing it in how she tricked him twice and the Doctor figures out what is wrong. Melody was a fake too! Oh noes! (A trick within the trick and we have a little Inception with the conception happening) He starts running (always with the running) back to the hangar where he had left the rest of the team. They figured out something was wrong when the lights started going out, the monks started chanting, and a force field appeared around the TARDIS. Clues, they are helpful. Rory poses up in the most awkward pose ever, Amy tells him to let everyone else die first, and the battle begins. Speaking of the monks and battling, seriously? Lightsabers? I mean, I know they were electrical swords but you cannot have a sword like weapon and put electricity on it and not compare it to lightsabers. But whatever. They were creepy.
But alas, the Doctor does not get there in time. SAD FACE. He goes off to talk to the girl who wanted nothing more than to see him one more time. They reminisce about the time they ran through the forest together before she eventually bites it. It was sweet and that was the moment River decides to show up. Why now? Because she couldn’t take part in it. He finally confronts her about who she is and she finally tells him that she has been telling him. He looks at the crib that turned out to be his but instead sees the little cloth the forest girl had sewn for Amy. Like a bolt of lightning everything finally comes into focus for him and he rushes off without really saying anything (besides giggling like a little school boy who just got caught by the parents - which, turns out, he just kind of did). Amy looks confused, grabs a gun (cause that’s what you do) and demands to know what she is talking about. She reminds them that the only water in the forest is the river and that the TARDIS translation stuff works slower on written stuff and when she finally turns it over -
OH MAN RIVER SONG IS MELODY POND AND AMY’S DAUGHTER!!!
‘Hello.’ - The Doctor
‘Hello.’ - River (or should we say Melody Pond?!?!?!)
As if it couldn’t end any better: the episode they return on is called Let’s Kill Hitler. Absolutely perfect.
So what does this mean? Let’s take a look at everything we know, everything we can assume because of what we know now, and what that can possibly mean.
River is Amy’s daughter: so that means the Doctor eventually gets the baby back. Is that why he was smiling? Possibly. Combine that with the fact that River knows the Doctor’s name (and we usually assume that means she is his wife) of course he would giggle. So, was it River (or do we call her Melody now? Eh, I like River better) in the spacesuit that kills the Doctor? Maybe. And had River already escaped when they find the space suit before they were able to send her through time, creating a new timeline? Or is that wishful thinking? I guess eventually she’ll regenerate into the current version of River. Ugh, that’d be annoying as a parent - always having a shapeshifting child. Also, Moffat has expressly stated that both River and the Doctor have definitely died when we see them pass. Which doesn’t make sense to me since that would end the show but I’m sure there is some wiggle room (or Moffat is lying about the Doctor dying).
Does the Doctor know he's going to die? Amy told one version of him that he would die but was that the flesh? Quite possibly. So, does he go through with it? What greater purpose does it serve? Who could benefit so much from his death that he would go through with it? If it's River then there's something else we don’t know about her.
As for what’s to come: I’m going to guess that River will be the next companion. Matt Smith is back for another year though Karen and Arthur aren’t. I’d imagine this is the year that River and Doctor go off and do their thing and it will be grand. Moffat says he has a plan (this I definitely believe) and it shall be fantastic. I deem it such.
It also explains all of last season: they were going after Amy using a classic Terminator plan. Can’t get the enemy? Kill the parents. Why they didn’t try sending a cyborg back through time instead of destroying all of time and space, we shall never know. All we know now is that River is definitely destined to be something important since the TARDIS basically flung the Doctor towards Amy to ensure her safety and the eventual birth of River.
But as we all know - time can be rewritten.

Throughout the weekend I was talking up Game of Thrones, HBO’s bold new fantasy series based on George R.R. Martin’s novels of the same name, to anyone who’d listen to me. The story is set in a world where seven noble families are fighting for control of Westeros; Martin’s Middle-Earth, if you will. As a genre enthusiast and a proponent of all things HBO I had been anticipating the arrival of this epic, serialized saga for sometime, but my fiancée was not as impressed by the trailers and promos we’d been teased with for the last six months or so.
“It’s just like every HBO show: Sex, violence, etc.” she proclaimed, with the viewing experience to back up that statement. “But honey, this is a fantasy show on HBO,” I said. “It’s never really been done before, and you know how much I like the swords-and-sorcery stuff…” Luckily, the lady gave in and sat down with me at 9:00PM sharp last night to view the premiere of the season’s most talked about new show, and you know what? She was right. Game of Thrones, though somewhat a departure and an incredible achievement for the channel that has brought programs like Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Wire and In Treatment, shares strands of the same DNA that runs through the majority its programming.
And there's nothing wrong with that. Indeed, there are more than a few familiar characteristics found within a handful of HBO’s best titles that were noticeably present in its Game of Thrones adaptation, but seeing as the channel has produced some of the most entertaining shows of all time, it's hard to complain about likening it to other gems. Martin has created some wonderful mythology for the creative team to mine and they've already rendered an immersive world to behold, so my advice is to get on the train now before you're left behind.
Read on for a breakdown of what the pilot, “Winter Is Coming,” contained, with a few thoughts on how it compared and conformed to some of the channels other shows.
What A Cast of Characters
Almost all contemporary TV shows feature an ensemble cast, with a few focusing more heavily on a particular character (Showtime’s Nurse Jackie, HBO’s The Sopranos). With seven ruling families at its core, Game of Thrones is no different and last night’s pilot introduced us to more characters than it probably should have. Please keep in mind that I have not read Mr. Martin’s novels, so it was more difficult for me (and many viewers) to keep up with all the character introductions and their connections than it, perhaps, was for those who have.
That said, it’s quite clear whom the show's creators want us to root for and against. The episode’s central protagonist, Ned Stark (played by Sean Bean, who’s no stranger to swordplay), rules the northern kingdom of Winterfell with righteousness and caution, always preparing for the worst and hoping for the best as he presides over his people. His large family, which includes a wife and more kids than I can keep track of, all have motivations and goals of their own, from daughter Sansa who wishes to marry into royalty and live in the metropolitan capital city at King’s Landing to bastard son Jon Snow, who wants nothing more than to join his uncle Benjen Stark on the Night Watch (a group of hardened warriors who guard a massive Wall that separates civilization and the mysterious and dangerous wild.)
Of course, all the other noble clans have a host of characters to get acquainted with, giving the audience lots of options to choose from for their “favorite.” There’s the House of Baratheon, which includes the current King Robert and his treacherous wife Cersei Lannister (Lena Heady) as well as children Joffrey, Myrcella, Tommen, Renly and Stannis. Across the sea, we meet the remaining members of the Targaryen family; the lecherous, opportunistic and arrogant Viserys, who unites his line with that of the powerful, nomadic Dothraki people by marrying his young sister Daeneyrs and Khal Drogo, a warlord prince of sorts. Viserys plans to use the army of his new brother-in-law to take back the Iron Throne (which was under his family’s rule for nearly 300 years before the House of Baratheon ended their reign and killed off his clan), but something tells me he won’t be successful.
Like I said, lots of characters to meet, very little time to do so. I expect this large population to be drastically reduced in size as battles rage throughout the season (and I can imagine many characters replaced by others as we learn more about the respective family trees), but one thing is for sure: their arcs are all carefully calculated and each is as intriguing and interesting to explore as the next.
Let's Talk About Sex, Sire
Perhaps one of the most appealing elements of any premium channel program, Game of Thrones didn’t hold back on the sexual content and the pilot featured more than a few depraved acts. In fact, it was hard to find any semblance of normalcy in the coitus at hand. I’m sure that unknowing audiences were somewhat blown away by veteran actor Peter Dinklage’s introduction, which first finds him cavorting with a local prostitute, followed by four whores. Emilia Clarke, who plays the beautiful Daeneyrs, spends a great deal of screen time bare naked; first in an awkward scene with her brother, another as she’s about to be taken by her new husband Drogo against a gorgeous pink-and-purple backdrop of the narrow sea and sky, visualizing the great contrast of the beauty of the natural world and the heartbreaking situations in which its inhabitants find themselves in.
Most shocking, however, was the incestuous relationship between twins Cersei and Jamie Lannister. Hardcore, porn-like sex scenes on HBO shows are commonplace (our collective palettes have been broadened thanks to True Blood and Rome), but there was something about seeing brother and sister going at it in the hay that just left me feeling icky. However, I think that this uncomfortable sexual sequence is just the tip of the iceberg of what Game of Thrones has in store for us.
A Taste Of The Good, Old Ultra-Violence
On the flip side of the sex coin is the amount of carnage that many of HBO’s shows contain. Compared to the weekly doses of graphic violence that Oz, The Wire, The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire provide, Game of Thrones was rather tame in its inaugural run. The fantastically staged and filmed opening sequence (which showed us, quite brutally, what The Night Watch is protecting Westeros from) aside, we didn’t see much bloodshed in “Winter Is Coming,” apart from a merciful beheading and the attempted murder of the inquisitive young Bran Stark. That’s not to say that, in a story centered on various families and houses battling one another, there won’t be plenty bloodshed to come, but there’s no reason to let believe that it will be any worse than what the premium channel has shown us in the past.
Warring Nations/Houses/Families
This is, perhaps, the greatest common factor within all of HBO’s dramatic programming. Whether it’s the New Jersey and New York mobsters fighting for their piece of the pie or Octavian and Marc Anthony clashing over control of Rome, there’s almost always opposition among the many groups of characters in any particular show. In Game of Thrones, the quest for the crown is not just a seasonal plot-point; it’s what drives the central narrative of the entire series.
As previously stated, the Stark’s, Baratheon’s, Greyjoy’s, Lannister’s, Martell’s, Targaryen’s and Tyrell’s all conspire against one another for rule of Westeros, whether they have alliances with other Houses or not. It’s this kind of strategic drama that has made past productions like Boardwalk Empire and Rome so nail-bitingly addictive and engrossing, so I expect the rocky relationships between the various characters and their clans to create some tense feuds as the story unfolds.
The Highest Order of Production Values
More than any of the aforementioned elements of an HBO show, other than AMC I can’t think of another channel that brings such high quality programming to its audience. It’s practically the definition of the brand, “It’s not TV, it’s HBO,” and for good reason.
“Winter Is Coming” had a perfect balance of character, story, sub-text and exposition, making it easy for new recruits to enter the world without feeling too overwhelmed by the breadth of its daunting mythology. The writing is top notch; we're introduced to characters with hints of their back-story’s without becoming dependent on the details that only those familiar with the source material are privy to. Characters are defined in their most basic terms so that viewers can understand and even relate to them emotionally while showing us where they all fit within the larger narrative. We're given just us enough information to be interested without feeling overloaded.
Visually, Game of Thrones could be the most stunning series that HBO has ever produced. We don’t often get to see so many breathtaking environments in one episode (let alone a pilot) of TV, so I was floored by the beautiful photography. From the frozen wastelands of Winterfell to the picturesque sea-side setting where Daeneyrs was married, the organic feel of the show will prove to be an amazing attraction for audiences. Quite similarly, the production design is a marvel. With a rumored seasonal budget of around $60 million, it should come as no surprise that the sets were all painstakingly particular in their construction, accentuating the differences between the various cultures and Houses of the land.
The Bottom Line
The marriage of all these physical accomplishments resulted in one of the most entertaining hours of television that I’ve seen all year, a triumph that few outlets other than HBO could achieve. I’m excited to know virtually nothing about where Game of Thrones is going in its 10 episode run this year. Just as the characters are unaware of what gruesome or glorious fate awaits them, I, too, look forward to the surprises that the story will bring as this expansive epic show leaves its mark on pop-culture. The one thing I do know is that, based on the strength of this pilot, the world is in store for a truly special program that seems to be honoring its creator’s vision while taking on a life of its own.

Since 1995’s Billy Madison, Adam Sandler has been as consistent a box office draw as any star working today and the stats prove the point: 11 films that have earned over $100 million at the domestic box office, 11 films that have opened at number one, five films that opened at number two and a lifetime domestic theatrical revenue total of over $2 billion. His relevance to audiences is clearly demonstrated by last year’s Grown Ups which became Sandler’s second highest grossing film domestically and the 14th highest grossing film of 2010 with $162 million. 12 of his films have been the result of a very fruitful collaboration with Sony Pictures and Just Go With It with a $31 million debut continues this success. Beyond the traditional weekend, the film will also see a solid Monday gross with Valentine couples making a date with Adam Sandler and co-star Jennifer Aniston for some romantic comedy fun.
An astonishing $30.260 million weekend gross proves that Bieber fever is in full swing as the music and life of the teen music sensation is profiled in Justin Bieber: Never Say Never which had teen girls swooning in the aisles and older audiences gaining a new appreciation for the diminutive crooner who has seemingly come out of nowhere to become the next big thing. Director Jon Chu is no stranger to the world of music having directed Step Up 2: The Streets and Step Up 3D and this documentary combines concert and behind-the-scenes footage in an attempt to provide insight into the meteoric rise of the charismatic performer. Teen girls have proven to be a powerful force at the box office in the past and this weekend was no exception as they come out to support their teen idol and made him a movie star.
Continuing a rare G-rated 3-D match up, Disney’s animated Gnomeo and Juliet with $25.5 million benefited from a dearth of family fare in the marketplace that has propelled Disney’s Tangled and Warner Bros.’ Yogi Bear to better-than-expected revenue totals. With a G-rating, music by Elton John, the director of Shrek 2 at the helm and a cute 3-D riff on the Shakespeare classic Romeo and Juliet, this gnome stood tall in the weekend box office contest.
In a weekend filled with newcomers, The Eagle from Focus Features landed in just over 2,296 theatres and a weekend gross of $8.6 million. The period costume adventure set in Roman-ruled Britain stars Dear John’s Channing Tatum and puts him in a sandals and swords period piece drew fans of epics such as Gladiator, 300 and Clash of the Titans.
Completing the top 5 line-up was last weekend’s number one film Sony/Screen Gems The Roommate which banked $8.4 million for the Valentine’s weekend. Yet another profit-maker for Screen Gems, the film earned back its production budget in its first 3 days of release and has gathered a total domestic gross of $26 million through Sunday night.
The bad news for the overall box office picture continues with the revenue downtrend crashing headlong into its 14th consecutive week. The year ago super-strong extended President’s Day weekend (which falls a week later this year) was led by the romantic comedy Valentine’s Day with a $56.3 million 3-day haul and The Wolfman and Percy Jackson and the Olympians both debuting with over $31 million.
Weekend Box Office
Top 10 Movies - For Weekend of February 11, 2011 - Estimates
Movie Weekend Total
1 Just Go With It (PG-13) $31.0 M $31.0 M
2 Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (G) $30.3 M $31.0 M
3 Gnomeo and Juliet (G) $25.5 M $25.5 M
4 The Eagle (PG-13) $8.6 M $8.6 M
5 The Roommate (PG-13) $8.4 M $26.0 M
6 The King's Speech (R) $7.4 M $93.8 M
7 No Strings Attached (R) $5.6 M $59.9 M
8 Sanctum (R) $5.1 M $17.5 M
9 True Grit (PG-13) $3.8 M $160.3 M
10 The Green Hornet (PG-13) $3.6 M $92.3 M

Since 1995’s Billy Madison, Adam Sandler has been as consistent a box office draw as any star working today and the stats prove the point: 11 films that have earned over $100 million at the domestic box office, 10 films that opened at number one, five films that opened at number two and a lifetime domestic theatrical revenue total of over $2 billion. His relevance to audiences is clearly demonstrated by last year’s Grown Ups which became Sandler’s second highest grossing film domestically and the 14th highest grossing film of 2010 with $162 million. 12 of his films have been the result of a very fruitful collaboration with Sony Pictures and Just Go With It with an expected $30 million debut will continue this success. Beyond the traditional weekend, the film will also see a solid Monday gross with Valentine couples making a date with Adam Sandler and co-star Jennifer Aniston for some romantic comedy fun.
Three other wide release openers will round out the top four slots with a rare G-rated 3-D match up of Disney’s animated Gnomeo and Juliet and Paramount’s music documentary Justin Bieber: Never Say Never both likely to post solid debuts in the mid to high teens and even perhaps sneak into the low $20 million range.
Gnomeo will benefit from a dearth of family fare in the marketplace that has propelled Disney’s Tangled and Warner Bros.’ Yogi Bear to better-than-expected revenue totals. With a G-rating, music by Elton John, the director of Shrek 2 at the helm and a cute 3-D riff on the Shakespeare classic Romeo and Juliet, look for this gnome to stand tall in the weekend box office contest.
Bieber fever is in full swing as the music and life of the teen music sensation is profiled in Justin Bieber: Never Say Never which will have teen girls swooning in the aisles and older audiences gaining a new appreciation for the diminutive crooner who has seemingly come out of nowhere to become the next big thing. Director Jon Chu is no stranger to the world of music having directed Step Up 2: The Streets and Step Up 3D and this documentary combines concert and behind-the-scenes footage in an attempt to provide insight into the meteoric rise of the charismatic performer. Teen girls have proven to be a powerful force at the box office in the past and this weekend should be no exception as they come out to support their teen idol as they make him a movie star.
In a weekend filled with newcomers, The Eagle from Focus Features will land in just over 2,000 theatres and a projected gross in the $8 million to $10 million range. The period costume adventure set in Roman-ruled Britain stars Dear John’s Channing Tatum and puts him in a sandals and swords period piece that will draw fans of epics such as Gladiator, 300 and Clash of the Titans.
Completing the top 5 line-up will be last weekend’s number one film Sony/Screen Gems The Roommate which will bank somewhere between $6 million and $8 million for the Valentine’s weekend. Yet another profit-maker for Screen Gems, the film earned back its production budget in its first 3 days of release and looks to gather a total domestic gross of over $20 million by Sunday night.
The bad news for the overall box office picture continues with the revenue downtrend expected to crash headlong into its 14th consecutive week. The year ago super-strong extended President’s Day weekend (which falls a week later this year) was led by the romantic comedy Valentine’s Day with a $56.3 million 3-day haul and The Wolfman and Percy Jackson and the Olympians both debuting with over $31 million.

Bullock donates $1 million
Sandra Bullock is encouraging Hollywood's millionaires to give generously to the post-tsunami relief effort in Asia after donating $1 million to help support emergency groups. The actress contacted the American Red Cross last week and asked how she could help, according to the Hollywood Reporter. This is the second time the generous star has handed over $1 million to the charity--she donated a similar amount after the terrorist attacks on America in 2001. A Red Cross spokesman says, "Sandra continues to enable our lifesaving work and is a model for personal generosity."
Fox: 'I'm not Lil' Jon's wife'
Actress Vivica A. Fox has rubbished reports she's married rapper Lil' Jon. The Kill Bill beauty insists she's baffled by rumors she's tied the knot with the hip-hop star--and she's desperate to inform her fans of the truth. She says, "I am not married to Lil' Jon and I definitely need folks to know that." Fox famously dated rapper 50 Cent before the pair suffered a very public break-up.
Ford is top granddad
Harrison Ford has been named Hollywood's sexiest grandfather in new pensioners magazine Grand.
The movie star, 62, beat Goldie Hawn, Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger and Naomi Judd to take the top spot in Grand's February issue.
Foxx wins the black vote
Jamie Foxx and his hit film Ray have been honored again--by the African-American Film Critics Association. Oscar-favorite Foxx was named best actor for his roles in Collateral and
Ray. Meanwhile, the Ray Charles biopic beat Hotel Rwanda and The Aviator to claim the best film honor.
Oprah is U.S top TV pick
Oprah Winfrey has been crowned America's popularity queen after beating Michael Jackson, Jennifer Aniston and Jennifer Lopez in a new TV list. Top showbiz news program Entertainment Tonight mentioned Winfrey's name more than anyone else during the course of 2004--thanks to her 50th birthday celebrations and $7 million car giveaways. Jackson came in second with Aniston beating her namesake to third. Socialite Paris Hilton was fifth.
Pitt's partner lands Paramount post
Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston's film-making partner Brad Grey is set to quit the trio's successful company after being handed the top role at Paramount Studios. Grey set up Plan B Prods. with Pitt two years ago after formerly managing the movie star and his wife as the owner of powerful agency Brillstein-Grey. Plan B has enjoyed much success and Grey is expected to remain to complete Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and one other movie. The Hollywood heavyweight is poised to take over retiring Paramount head Sherry Lansing's job later this year.
Jackson wanted for Pacey resurrection
Actor Joshua Jackson is being targeted by TV bosses eager to bring his Dawson's Creek character back to the small screen. Jackson rocketed to fame playing troubled teen Pacey Whitter in the show--which ran from 1998 to 2003--about four friends in a small coastal town who help each other cope with adolescence. And now TV chiefs are offering Jackson a lucrative contract in an effort to tempt the actor--who is pursuing a film career after scoring success in movies like Cruel Intentions and The Skulls--back into the role for a spin-off series, according to British newspaper the Daily Star.
Arquette convinced psychics can help
Actress Patricia Arquette signed up to play a clairvoyant in new TV series Medium because she's convinced psychics can help people. Far from a skeptic, Arquette admits she has called on phone psychics on four occasions to help her make life decisions and get answers to mysteries. She says, "I called once when my mom was ill and I got offered a movie and I was going to be out of town and I said, 'I have a job opportunity out of town and I'm not sure if I should take it.' Meanwhile, my friend had heard her ex-boyfriend had gone missing... and he said, 'Well he's lost at sea,' and it turned out he drowned but nobody knew. They told me, 'No. Don't take that show.' And my mom ended up getting sick at that time. Another time, someone had stolen something and they described the people who'd just been fired at this workplace." In the new drama series, which debuted Monday night, Arquette speaks to the dead to help police solve crimes.
Sarandon refuses to discuss Robbins romance
Susan Sarandon has warned celebrities they're heading for heartache if they continue to boast about their relationships in the media. The actress, 58, refuses to divulge the secrets of her long-running romance with actor Tim Robbins--who she's been dating for 17 years--because she fears exposing such intimate details could have disastrous consequences. Sarandon says, "My formula for a successful relationship is never to talk about a successful formula, because it's bound to go wrong. At a certain point you have to decide that you are going to be with this person, and not be looking towards the door to see who else is coming in, in case they're better. I don't know when that point comes--maybe it's to do with age, or maybe it's who you're with. But you do have to decide to grow with them, and hopefully they will grow with you, too."
Murray slams difficult reputation stories
Bill Murray has slammed accusations he is difficult to work with, insisting he only clashes with "obnoxious people". The Lost In Translation actor has little time for those who lack consideration for others. Murray says, "If it keeps obnoxious people away, that's fine. It makes me think of that line you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. People say this to you with a straight face, and I always say, 'Who. Wants. Flies?'" Murray roots for the underdog and crossed swords with the location manager on his last movie over his attempts to heat a rented house where child actors were performing their scenes. Of the fracas on the untitled Jim Jarmusch flick, he says, "(I said) 'Who are you?' She said, 'I'm locations.' I said, 'Well, if locations had done their job and made sure it was warm enough for these people, we wouldn't be lighting a fire in the fireplace.'" At the wrap party, Murray approached the woman again, "I said, 'You know, we had our moment, and I don't apologize for that for a second.'" However, he congratulated her on excelling at other aspects of her job and adds, "I wanted to let her know I could see it both ways."
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Capt. Scotty finds himself crowded out of his favorite fishing spot, which Capt. Linda draws a line in the sand, vowing to retire if she doesn't find fish this year. And Campt. Chomps needs fish himself- his brother's medical bills have put serious strain on his finances.

Episode 2. Deckhands Down
(AIR DATE 08/17/2010)

Slick arrives at the fishing grounds with his crew. Chomps has seconds thoughts about having come to the Grand Banks, while Linda's crew suffers through injuries and bad luck including a swarm of blue sharks.

Episode 3. Turf War
(AIR DATE 08/24/2010)

Captain Chomps has a disagreement with another captain, while a deckhand takes a spill on Eagle Eye 2. On the Frances Anne, a deckhand makes a mistake that almost causes them to lose their haul.

Episode 4. Overloaded and into the Storm
(AIR DATE 08/31/2010)

Slick forgives Lemy's mistake when the crew has a new problem to focus on- finding more space to store fish. Meanwhile, the Big Eye endures a storm.

Episode 5. So Close But So Far
(AIR DATE 09/07/2010)

A vicious storm descends, and Captain Linda makes the call to ride it out in port. Captain Scotty grapples with whether or not docking would be too dangerous.

Episode 6. Man Overboard!
(AIR DATE 09/14/2010)

Tempers flare about the Big Eye, while the Eagle Eye II is battered by stormy seas. On the Sea Hawk, a crew member falls overboard.

Episode 7. Needle and Thread to the Head
(AIR DATE 09/21/2010)

Greenhorn Don stitches up his own head wound. Captain Slick succumbs to his stress, and is demoted. And frustration builds on the Bjorn 2.

Linda and Scotty square off. Captain Slick has to handle an inexperienced crew, and Chomps has to put together a crew at the last minute.

Episode 2. Long Lines and Short Tempers
(AIR DATE 05/17/2011)

With a serious storm approaching, all the captains race to reel in the fish. The deck boss on the Frances Anne makes a gigantic mistake that angers Captain Slick.

Episode 3. The Storm of the Century
(AIR DATE 05/19/2011)

The captains decide whether to turn back or delve into a huge storm.

Episode 4. With Friends Like These
(AIR DATE 05/26/2011)

Linda and her crew benefit greatly from her gutsy decision to wait out the storm. Captains Scotty and Chompers have to make up for lost time following their decision to avoid the storm by heading inland.

Episode 5. Charlie Fox Trot
(AIR DATE 06/02/2011)

The season comes to an early end for the deck boss on the Frances Anne after a serious injury. Tensions rise on the Hannah Boden when some crew members don't pull their weight.

Episode 6. Foreign Relations
(AIR DATE 06/09/2011)

A Japanese vessel stakes out the best fishing spot on the Grand Banks. The Eagle Eye 2 decides to head south. Slick's autopilot malfunctions, leaving Butters behind the wheel.

Episode 7. Bested, Battered & Broke
(AIR DATE 06/16/2011)

Linda's decision to remain on the Grand Banks haunts her. The Frances Anne has to return to port due to auto pilot problems.

Episode 8. Dead in the Water
(AIR DATE 06/23/2011)

A run of bad luck leads the crew to question Linda's leadership. Scotty's decision to head to George's Bank is vindicated. A greenhorn makes a costly mistake.

Episode 9. Lost Hopes and Last Chances
(AIR DATE 06/30/2011)

The Hannah Boden arrives at George's Bank. The Frances Anne seeks refuge in a remote fishing area. Chompers faces the end of a terrible season.

Episode 10. The Final Gamble
(AIR DATE 07/07/2011)

With the season coming to a close, every crew is hoping for a good offload. The Frances Anne weighs in ahead, while the Big Eye is the clear loser.